Farming reform
Farming reform
McLaren takes moral high ground over beef
The production of beef from Scotland's uplands was defended at the SAMW conference by Jim McLaren, the new chairman of the red meat industry promotional body, Quality Meat Scotland.
Time to devolve meat inspection say processors
A BLUEPRINT for a devolved meat inspection service in Scottish abattoirs and meat processing plants will be on the desk of the cabinet secretary for rural affairs within days of next month's parliamentary elections in Scotland.
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Age limit call for tractor drivers
The practice where farmers allow their sons to drive tractors from an early age came under withering fire this week from one of the country's top health and safety inspectors, Lawrence Murray.
Chaotic scenes as crofting reform voted in
A MOVE to scrap plans for a map-based register of every croft in Scotland was voted down by MSPs yesterday.
Andrew Arbuckle on farming: Slow food education would put us a cut above the rest
OVER the years, I have always eaten at set times. In fact, I was brought up on this system which saw breakfast on the table at 9:30am, lunch at noon – not five minutes past noon – and tea at 5pm at the end of the working day. That is the way it was and may still be in many farming households.
Farming: Decisions on CAP may go better if discussed in the pub…
ON ARRIVAL in Brussels, I met an Irish journalist who seemed to know his way around. In from the airport was easy and then he said: "I'll take you to where the big decisions are made."
The high human cost of some Scottish farm produce
WITH the warmer weather finally heralding the onset of summer, supermarket shelves across the country are beginning to fill up with juicy, locally grown strawberries.
Brussels sprouts too many rules
IT NOW appears all but certain that Gordon Brown is not going to permit the British electorate a referendum on the revised EU constitution, despite that pledge being prominent in his party's election manifesto.
Call for level-playing field on subsidies amid dairy fears
FARMERS in Scotland, albeit reluctantly, are admitting that the plans for the new rural development programme position them at some advantage to their colleagues elsewhere in the UK.
SNP siphons off part of EU farmers' aid for green plans
SCOTLAND'S farmers are to lose some of their subsidies, the Scottish Executive has announced.
Questions over agriculture minister - and department
ALEX Salmond will shortly be appointed as First Minister, but it remains unclear which of his SNP colleagues will be rewarded with ministerial responsibilities. However, speculation is mounting as to the appointment of the new minister for rural affairs.
Beef farmers open their gates to Europe's top chefs and butchers
LEADING chefs and meat importers from across Europe will be converging on Scotland in the coming weeks as efforts are stepped up to boost Scotch beef and lamb sales overseas.
45 arrested in 50m fraud
ITALIAN police have arrested 45 people accused of a 50 million fraud involving European Union subsidies for citrus farmers in the southern region of Calabria, Italian and EU officials said yesterday.
The heroines of farming deserve more recognition
THE photograph in last Friday's edition of The Scotsman of the dozen ladies who now sit in the cabinet of the coalition government in Finland set me thinking of the role of the fairer sex in farming and rural affairs.
So just who's laughing now? asks green prince
PRINCE Charles has claimed his long-running campaign to protect rare livestock has been vindicated despite facing a "chorus of ridicule".
Politicians set to reap what they have sown over farming issues
FOR the first time in years, it appears that the rural vote could be pivotal in some constituencies during next month's Holyrood elections.
New season has brought signs of longer-term revitalisation
SPRING is the season of renewal in the countryside. Crops are planted, lambs and calves arrive, and farmers, apart from the hardcore cynics, look forward with a sense of optimism as the days become progressively longer.
Land reform 'gave us access but no proper paths system'
THE Land Reform Act was one of the flagship pieces of legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament in its early days.
Taking two steps to crofting reform
LEGISLATION to secure the future of crofting will be implemented in two stages, the Executive said yesterday.
Two sides of debate over farm payments
CLOSE on £400 million is available to Scottish farmers through the new single farm payment (SFP), the device introduced as the core element of the 2003 reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
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Weather for Edinburgh
Sunday 19 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
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Light showers
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